Observation Decks with Amazing Bird's-Eye Views

Opened in February 2013, the main observation gallery at this Renzo Piano-designed skyscraper is 800 feet high—the tallest in Western Europe—which is enough to see 40 miles around the city on a clear day. (And, if it's really foggy, you'll be able to return for free). Can't tell what you're looking at? High-tech digital telescopes come with touch screens that'll give you information about 200 London attractions below. When you're finished, you can ascend even higher to the 72nd floor, which is open and exposed to the elements so you can hear the din of the city below.

The highest strata of the Shanghai World Financial Center's three-level observatory, located on the 100th floor of the building, tops out at a staggering 1,555 feet high. Once there, you'll be surrounded by glass on three sides in order to look out over the city—there are even a few glass panels installed into the floor so you can look down as well. If the ultra-height gets the better of you and you want something just a little closer to ground level, there's also an observation deck on the 97th floor, compete with a roof that opens to let the high-altitude air in, and another on the 94th floor that doubles as an event space.

This is one of the all-time classic vantage points of New York City, and it's easy to see why: On a clear day, you can see for a radius of 80 miles, meaning you can look out over five different states (New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Massachusetts). The skyscraper has two observation decks: The 86th floor—1,050 feet up—has an indoor viewing area and an outdoor terrace with high-powered binoculars for a more detailed look around; the 102nd floor—1,250 feet up—has an indoor gallery with a 360-degree view. The view from the ground isn't bad, either, with a sophisticated LED light system that allows the building to be illuminated in 16 million colors.

The Burj Khalifa is famously the tallest skyscraper in the world (for now, at least), and, while the observation deck won't get you to the tippy-top, the view from the 1,483-foot-high 124th floor is still pretty jaw-dropping. Like many of the observation decks, there are high-tech telescopes at the observation deck for you to use, and, at that height, you're going to need them. Feeling peckish? Drop down a couple levels to the 122nd floor, and seek out either the fine-dining At.Mosphere, which holds the Guinness World Record for the highest restaurant.

Sure, you can find amazing Paris panoramas from the top of the Eiffel Tower—but then you don't get to look at it anymore. Instead, consider visiting this observation deck of this building, which faces the Eiffel Tower on its west side, so you can get a view of it along with the city beyond. Try to spot Les Invalides, Sacré Cœur, Place de la Bastille, and other Parisian landmarks from the 360-degree, open-air viewing platform on the 56th floor, more than 688 feet high.

Chicago's Willis Tower boasts the highest observation deck in the United States, standing 1,353 feet above the city. From that height, you can see 40 to 50 miles—and out into Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Michigan—if you have the weather on your side. If you're feeling brave, don't just settle for a gazing out the window in one direction: step out onto The Ledge, an entirely glass box that extends more than four feet from the tower, so you can see out on three sides—and straight down.

The Petronas Twin Towers make the most striking architectural mark on Kuala Lampur's skyline, and, linking the towers on the 41st and 42nd floor, you can find a nearly 200-foot-long, double-decker bridge that gives you an unparalleled panoramic view of the city. (Taken together, the silhouette of the towers and the bridge is supposed to look like the letter "M," for Malaysia.) If that's not high enough for you, there's another observation deck at the top of the building—1,181 feet up—where you can look out over Kuala Lampur, and get closer look at the other of the Tower's twin spires.

If you take its spire into account, Q1 is the tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere, and its observation deck rises to a height of nearly 755 feet. From there, rather than peering at a building-packed city, you'll be gazing at the beaches of Australia's Gold Coast. (Don't forget to look up—the ceiling is glass, too.) If you're looking for something that's more likely to get your endorphins going, try The Climb. The experience starts on the 77th floor, where you'll be strapped into a harness and led to a staircase—on the exterior of the building. From there, you'll climb 298 outdoor stairs to the building's spire before heading back to the observation deck to catch your breath.

The experience here starts in a high-speed elevator: Taipei 101 once held the Guinness World Record for fastest elevator, traveling at an impressive max speed of 3,313 feet per minute and taking you to the 89th floor in just 40 seconds. (Don't worry—the elevators are pressurized so your ears don't pop). Once you've reached the 89th floor, you can take in the sights from the indoor observatory, head down a level to see the world's biggest wind damper, or climb another flight of stairs to the outdoor observation deck (which is open only when weather permits). Don't forget to bring a postcard with you. It might seem old-school, but there are mailboxes at the observation deck, so you can send a note to anyone you think will be tickled by the high-altitude correspondence.